MHS Italian foreign exchange student Giacomo Ghigo

This season’s Maricopa High School football roster included a 6-foot, 190-pound lineman from Italy. Known to his teammates by his nickname of Jack, senior Giacomo Ghigo saw his first varsity playing time during the Rams’ Oct. 1 game against Scottsdale Coronado.

Maricopa coach Cory Nenaber sent Ghigo into the lineup on defense for the final two minutes of the game, which Coronado won, 40-24. Ghigo made the tackle on his first play.

“First game, first play. Yeah, nice,” he said.

Ghigo said he has adjusted to the rigors of daily football practice.

“At the beginning, considering it was my first sport, it’s very hard with the heat of the desert,” he said. “And it was a lot painful, but after a while you get used to it.”

The opportunity to participate in athletics was one of the reasons that Ghigo wanted to spend the school year in America.

“I wanted to improve my English and learn what I can from your culture and also play sports,” he said.

Ghigo said he also would like to play baseball in the spring, but he doesn’t think his academic schedule will allow it.

“Since I have to study every afternoon for my high school in Italy, I won’t have the time to play baseball,” he said.

Ghigo said the high school he attends in Italy is smaller than Maricopa. He describes his Italian school as “totally different.”

“At school in my country, students stay all together in the same class, and the teachers move around,” Ghigo said. “Every week there are a lot more subjects and homework.”

While the Italian school day is just five hours long, students spend four hours each night on homework.

“It’s kind of hard,” Ghigo said.

Students in Italy attend high school for five years, so Ghigo will have another year to complete after he returns to his hometown.

“And then, I’d like to try to be a physical therapist,” he said.

Ghigo and his parents and brother are from Cuneo, a city of 55,000 that is located at the foot of the Maritime Alps in northwest Italy.

“It’s peaceful,” Ghigo said. I love it.”

Asked what he enjoys most about Maricopa, Ghigo said, “In America, the people are very nice.” He mentioned his host family (Charles and Catherine Hoyt), his football teammates and coaches, and the students at Maricopa High School as examples.

Ghigo said he also has discovered a favorite American food which is not available in Italy.

“Twinkies,” he said. “All the Hostess snack foods.”

Ghigo said he would like to visit the Hostess factory, along with Disneyland, New York City and Maine.

“I like Maine because lobster is very cheap, and because of the nice climate,” he said.

Ghigo said the climate of Maine is similar to his hometown in Italy, with cold and snowy winters and warm summers.

Photo by Tom Kessler

Next: Mengli Yang from China